CHRISTOPHER CHAISSON

Christopher Chaisson lives in Holliston, MA and has been writing songs under the name The Young Leaves for over 8 years.

What was the food highlight of your year?

This year my band, The Young Leaves, went on a 30-day summer tour and I set out on a quest to find the BEST donuts ever. We passed through a lot of different cities with all sorts of "gourmet/artisan" donut shops and I tried them all. However, I found the greatest donuts in the entire world in Pittsburgh at a place called Better-Maid Donut Co. It's essentially this hole in the wall, ran by some huge Steelers fan who lives for nothing but donuts and football. There's nothing fancy about it, and admittedly the place looks like it hasn't been cleaned or decorated since the 1960's, but it's hands-down the best donut experience you'll ever have. It's old-fashioned, meaning he makes nothing but cake donuts, and he only makes a limited run per day. But again, I can't stress how incredible they are in their craft and deliciousness. I did the 13 for $5 deal and crushed all 13 donuts in about an hour. I felt sick, but in that horribly good foodie way. So worth it.

What was the music highlight of your year?

The musical highlight of my year was most definitely The Young Leaves summer tour. We went out for 30 days in June and played from Boston out to Minneapolis, down to Orlando, and back up (like a gigantic triangle spanning half the country.) For some, touring can be an absolute nightmare, but I adore it. If I had to chose a specific moment on tour that made my year it would be when we visited Springfield, IL for Dumb Fest 2. I had no expectations heading into it, but the whole thing ended up being a beautiful arrangement of music, skateboarding, and DIY culture. I had never been to Springfield before, but everyone was so ridiculously friendly and the bands were all fantastic; it was everything I love about "punk" or "independent" music or whatever. I hope they continue on with making it an annual thing, and maybe we'll play it again! Also, the band Looming from that area were great. I hope they're still doing their thing as well!

Was there a moment when food and music came together in a memorable way?

One of the best dudes I've ever met through music is a guy by the name of Matt Evans. He plays guitar in an awesome band called Old Flings and, in addition to being a great guy and songwriter, he also LOVES barbecue with a serious passion. He set us up a show in Asheville, North Carolina and when we arrived he had us hop in the bed of his truck and took us to a gas station. This was no ordinary gas station, though. It had a built-in BBQ dive with some of the most serious pulled pork and hush-puppies that I'd ever eaten. As with most barbecue, it's all in the sauce and that place delivered. Later on that night we ended up seeing Jim Wilbur of Superchunk at our show trying to help a band fix their broken down van. It was great. Just great.

@youngleavesma

CHRISTOPHER CHAISSON

Christopher Chaisson is singer/guitarist of The Young Leaves

What was the food highlight of your year?

This year was a big food year for me! Although it’s kind of funny, I’ve been struggling with food phobias since I was a kid, which has limited me significantly in terms of my diet and what I can/will eat. This year I decided that I was going to tackle some of my phobias head-on by trying different foods, in hopes of branching out and expanding my palate. 

Particularly, I made the brave leap into burritos, which contain a ton of ingredients that have freaked me out for years. Turns out, after a few bad experiences, I absolutely LOVE burritos! This self-discovery has been relatively huge for me because through conquering the burrito, I’ve been able to add several core foods to my diet like beans, rice, and lettuce. It may seem ridiculous and unimpressive to some, but it was a personal milestone which I’m super happy about.

What was the music highlight of your year?

My musical highlight of the year was easily the release of my band’s new full-length, Alive and Well. As with any release, I was extremely excited to get the record out, but this one was such an incredible process and ultimately felt more rewarding than anything that I’d done in the past. It was the first record that I did with my new drummer (and one of my best friends), Rico Delgado, and the chemistry and enjoyment we had while writing and recording these songs was truly awesome. I think we both feel like we accomplished something, and there’s not a greater feeling in the world. My runner-up musical highlight was playing Fest 12 and getting to see several of my favorite bands. It was an amazing experience and I’d like to thank Tony and everyone else who helped make it happen. I’m already stupidly excited for the next one!

Was there a moment when food and music came together in a memorable way?

Yes! Earlier in the year, I had a moment in which I considered quitting The Young Leaves and giving up on playing music in general. Our bassist had left us (on amicable terms) and I was undergoing some rough personal stuff, so I called up Rico and asked him to hang out, preparing to give him the whole “this band is over” speech. We met up at this place in my hometown called Outpost Farm, which neither of us had ever been to. I remember we both ordered these $4 Thanksgiving-style turkey sandwiches and they were quite possibly the greatest sandwiches that we’d ever had. While we were eating, I started to drop the bomb on Rico and, almost immediately, he told me to shut up and stop being irrational. I don’t know what it was about the combination of tough love and a delicious turkey/cranberry sandwich, but it ultimately saved the band. I’ll always remember that day.

@youngleavesma